Thermal printing devices are well known in the art. One of the primary applications of thermal printing devices is label making, in which thermal ink is transferred onto a media, like a label, by sending data to the thermal print head (TPH) and then powering/heating the elements of the thermal print head to transfer the desired pattern of thermal ink onto the label.
Thermal print heads are obviously integral to the design of thermal printing devices. They are designed to be accurate, reliable, and relatively secure from tampering, as any disturbance of the thermal print head could affect the print results. As a consequence, thermal print heads are generally not designed for easy maintenance and replacement. For users of thermal printing devices that are not technically inclined, replacing a thermal print head can be time consuming and can require special tools.
For example, FIG. 1 illustrates a typical thermal print head mounting system 100 known in the prior art with a thermal print head 105 attached to a baseplate 101 that includes holes 103 and hooks 104 for mounting the system 100 in a thermal printing device. The thermal print head 105 has a socket-type electrical connector 102 for connection to a complementary plug-type connector (not shown). Such a typical arrangement requires the user of the thermal printing device to take the printing device apart, remove the system 100, disconnect the power cable from the connector 102, replace the thermal print head 105, and reassemble everything. Such a maintenance routine can introduce significant downtime and negative economic impact in industrial printing applications.
Accordingly, there is a need for a thermal printing device with an easily replaceable thermal print head that reduces maintenance downtime.
A further challenge for users of thermal printing devices is printing pressure. Depending upon the type of media (i.e. label) and the type of print job, different pressures are needed to transfer the thermal ink pattern. In an attempt to allow the user to optimize the printing pressure, earlier solutions have provided users with several controls to adjust and tune the printing pressure. For most applications, however, such precision is not required and a reduced set of pressure settings is sufficient for most applications and reduces complexity for the user.
Therefore, there is a need for a thermal printing device with a simple print pressure adjustment control.